AQUITANIA
GUYENNE
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The
original Aquitania (named after the inhabitants) at the time of Caesar's
conquest of Gaul included the area bounded by the Garonne River, the Pyrenees
and the Atlantic Ocean. The name may stem from Latin 'aqua', maybe derived
from the town “Aquae Augustae”, “Aquae Tarbellicae” or just "Aquis"
(Dax, Akize in modern Basque) or as a more general geographical feature. Under
Augustus' Roman rule, since 27 BC the province of Aquitania was further
stretched to the north to the River Loire, thus including proper Gaul tribes
along with old Aquitani south of the Garonne (cf. Novempopulania and Gascony)
within the same region. In 392,
the Roman imperial provinces were restructured as Aquitania Prima
(north-east), Aquitania Secunda (centre) and Aquitania Tertia, better known
as Novempopulania in the south-west. Early Middle Ages Accounts
of Aquitania during the Early Middle Ages are a blur, lacking precision, but
there was much unrest. The Visigoths were called into Gaul as foederati, legalizing their status
within the Empire. Eventually they established themselves as the de facto rulers in south-west Gaul as central
Roman rule collapsed. Visigoths established their capital in Toulouse, but their tenure on
Aquitaine was feeble. In 507, they were expelled south to Hispania after
their defeat in the Battle of Vouillé by the Franks, who became the new
rulers in the area to the south of the Loire. The Roman
Aquitania Tertia remained in place as Novempopulania, where a duke was
appointed to hold a grip over the Basques (Vascones/Wascones). These dukes
were quite detached from central Frankish overlordship, sometimes governing
as independent rulers with strong ties to their kinsmen south of the
Pyrenees. As of 660, the foundations for an independent Aquitaine/Vasconia
polity were established by the duke Felix of Aquitaine, a magnate (potente(m)) from Toulouse, probably of Gallo-Roman stock.
Despite its nominal submission to the Merovingians, the ethnic make-up of new
realm Aquitaine wasn't Frankish, but Gallo-Roman north of the Garonne and
main towns and Basque, especially south of the Garonne. A united
Basque-Aquitanian realm reached its heyday under Odo the Great's rule. In
721, the Aquitanian duke fended Umayyad troops (Sarracens) off at Toulouse,
but in 732, an Umayyad expedition commanded by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
defeated Odo next to Bordeaux, and went on to loot its way up to Poitiers.
Odo was required to pledge allegiance to the Frankish Charles Martel in
exchange for help against the advancing Arab forces. Basque-Aquitanian
self-rule temporarily came to a halt, definitely in 768 after the
assassination of Waifer. In
781,Charlemagne decided to proclaim his son Louis King of Aquitaine
within the Carolingian Empire, ruling over a realm comprising the Duchy of
Aquitaine and the Duchy of Vasconia. He suppressed various Basque
(Gascon) uprisings, even venturing into the lands of Pamplona past the Pyrenees
after ravaging Gascony, with a view to imposing his authority also in the
Vasconia to south of Pyrenees. According to his biography, he achieved
everything he wanted and after staying overnight in Pamplona, on his way back
his army was attacked in Roncevaux in 812, but narrowly escaped an engagement
at the Pyrenean passes. Seguin (Sihiminus), count of Bordeaux and Duke
of Vasconia, seemed to have attempted a detachment from the Frankish central
authority on Charlemagne's death. The new emperor Louis the Pious reacted by
removing him from his capacity, which stirred the Basques into rebellion. The
king in turn sent his troops to the territory, obtaining their submission in
two campaigns and killing the duke, while his family crossed the Pyrenees and
continued to foment risings against Frankish power. In 824, the 2nd Battle of
Roncevaux took place, in which counts Aeblus and Aznar, Frankish vassals from
the Duchy of Vasconia sent by the new King of Aquitaine, Pepin, were captured
by the joint forces of Iñigo Arista and the Banu Qasi. Before
Pepin's death, emperor Louis had appointed a new king in 832, his son Charles
the Bald, while the Aquitanian lords elected Pepin II as king. This struggle for
control of the kingdom led to a constant period of war between Charles, loyal
to his father and the Carolingian power, and Pepin II, who relied more on the
support of Basque and Aquitanian lords. Aquitaine after the Treaty of Verdun[ After the
843 Treaty of Verdun, the defeat of Pepin II and the death of Charles the
Bald, the Kingdom of Aquitaine (subsumed in West Francia) ceased to have any
relevance and the title of King of Aquitaine took on a nominal value. In
1058, the Duchy of Vasconia (Gascony) and Aquitaine merged under the rule of
William VIII, Duke of Aquitaine. The title
"Duke of Aquitaine" was held by the counts of Poitiers from the
10th to the 12th century. Aquitaine
passed to France in 1137 when the duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis
VII of France, but their marriage was annulled in 1152. When Eleanor's new
husband became King Henry II of England in 1154, the area became an English
possession, and a cornerstone of the Angevin Empire. Aquitaine remained
English until the end of the Hundred Years' War in 1453, when it was annexed
by France. (Wikipedia) |
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Roman Conquest Publius Crassus, the young lieutenant of Julius César, conquered
Aquitaine in 56 B.C. The pax romana Under the
Roman Empire, the name Aquitaine applies to a large south-west of Gaul, from the
Pyrenees to the banks of the Loire, including Auvergne. Saintes and Bordeaux
were the successive capitals of Aquitaine. Gaul finally split into three
(Aquitaine Prima Aquitaine Secunda and Novempopulania) under the Tetrarchy,
on the occasion of the fiscal and administrative reforms carried out by
Diocletian (284). The Romanization of Novempopulanie would lead to Gascony. History The
diocese was established during the reforms of Diocletian who reigned from
284-305. It is attested early in the reign of Constantine I in the Verona
List which has been dated to around 314. In 402 an annual provincial
assembly, the Concilium septem provinciarum, was established in Arles. In
407, the Vandals and their allies invaded Gaul, devastating the region until
they departed for the Iberian peninsula in 409. The Visigoths were brought in
as foederati to aid the Romans against them, and in 418 emperor Honorius
allowed them to settle in Aquitania around Toulouse. Although nominally Roman
subjects, the Goths were practically independent, a fact which was formally
recognized by the Western Empire in 475, just one year before its end. In 462
Ricimer ceded them also the province of Narbonensis Prima, while the Goths
proceeded to occupy the remaining provinces east of the Rhone in 477.
Henceforth, the lands that had comprised the diocese of the Seven Provinces
became part of the Visigothic Kingdom. Aquitania was soon lost to the Franks
(507), with only the southern coastal strip (Septimania) retained by the
Goths. |
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Archeology |
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From
Roman Aquitania many sarcophages are preserved of fine craftmanship some of
which show a christogram surrounded by a crown or a wreath of laurel, symbol of
martial victory, and sometimes between two piles. These, we think, were the
badges of office of military officials, probably the duces or rectores provinciæ of the former roman
provinces. |
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Aquitania I |
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Victorius,
the Visigothic dux conquered all
Aquitania I and turned embattled Clermont into his residence.
Notre Dame Cathedral, Rodez XP-cypher
within a crown of laurel |
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Aquitania II |
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We hear
also of Visigothic duces in
Bordeaux, the capital of Aquitania II. Aquitania II was also originally part of the old ducatus north and south of the Loire.
Sarcophage in the crypt of
St. Seurin church, Bordeaux XP-cypher
within a crown of laurel, a lime-tree within a circular bordure on the lid
Sarcophage in the Musée
d’Aquitaine, Bordeaux XP-cypher
within a bordure on the coffin and the lid
Sarcophage in the crypt of
St. Seurin church, Bordeaux XP-cypher on the lid |
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Novempopulania |
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Sarcophage of St Vincent XP-cypher
within a crown of laurel When discovered in 1785 it was covered with a
lid and it contained bones, ceremonial vestments and a large
lead medal |
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Narbonensis I |
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Sarcophage of St. Pierre monastery, Moissac XP-cypher
within a knotted headband, a lime-tree
on the lid Reused as a tomb for abbot Raymond de
Montpezat, who died in 1245. |
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418-507 |
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Mosaic with chalice, 5th-6th century From Bordeaux, France Musée d’Aquitaine, Bordeaux In the
5th-6th century Bordeaux was a part of the Visigothic Kingdom. As the
chalice was an emblem of a castrensis
the mosaic is probably from his office in Bordeaux. No indication of his rank in the form of supporters is added. Visigothic
weapons were found on the Catalan Fields near Troyes (451AD). They are a part
of the Pouan Treasury nowadays. More: Trésor de Pouan Visigothic
warriors of some rank bore pairs of eagles of a special visigothic fashion on
their cloaks. Both christograms and eagles are also known from the remaining
part of the Visigothic kingdom in Spain after the battle of Vouillé.
Visigothic eagles from
Castelsagrat (Tarn & Garonne, Aquit.) 6th cent. Bronze,
cloisonné, 13.5´6.65 cm Musée
de Cluny, Paris |
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The Middle Ages |
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Aquitaine
and the Franks In 507,
Clovis, invited by the bisshops of Novempopulanie,
incorporated it into the kingdom of the Franks, defeating Alaric II, king of
the Wisigoths, at the batle of Vouillé. The need
to combine several endangered border districts and place them under one
military command remained unchanged throughout the centuries. In this way the
dux provinciae took the place of a comes who commanded larger units. In
other words, out of the function of the late antique and barbarian dux developed the rank and function of
that dux who became the predecessor
of the early medieval duke. But how tenaciaously this office clung to its
roots is revealed by the fact that dux
and comes remained interchangeable
and that right up to the beginning of the High Middle Ages every dux was in principle also a comes. In the fifth century the
connection is visible in that one and the same person could exercise both
functions, since a dux provinciæ
administrated his sphere of authority from a civitas whose comes he
was. |
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Merovingian Kings of
Aquitania |
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507-511 |
Clovis |
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511-555 |
Chlotar |
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555–560 |
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583–587 |
Desiderius, jointly with Bladast |
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583–587 |
Bladast, jointly
with Desiderius |
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584/585 |
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587–589 |
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589–592 |
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592–629 |
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629–632 |
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632 |
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632–660 |
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660–670 |
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Felix
(floruit 660s) was a patrician in the Frankish kingdom under the
Merovingians. He had his seat at Toulouse. According to the tenth-century
Miracula sancti Martialis lemovicensis, Felix was "a noble and renowned
patrician from the town of Toulouse, who had obtained authority over all the
cities up to the Pyrenees and over the iniquitous people of the
Wascones," that is, the Basques. Felix is probably the first ruler of
the Duchy of Aquitaine that evolved from the old kingdom of Charibert II in
the decades following his death (632) and Dagobert I's subjection of the
Basques. Although he stands at the head of the list of semi-independent
rulers of Aquitaine that extends through the Middle Ages, he is described as
"mysterious" and "obscure". Felix was
probably a supporter of Chlothar III and his majordomo, Ebroin. His
patriciate corresponds to the years when Chlothar's appointee, Erembert, was
bishop of Toulouse. After Chlothar's death (673), Erembert retired and
Chlothar's brother, Childeric II, took over the throne and deposed Ebroin. At
this time, a certain Lupus, whom the Miracula describes as "coming
to" Felix, presided over a
regional synod at Bordeaux, though Felix was still in power in Aquitaine at
that time. This synod was held under Childeric II, indicating continued
Frankish sovereignty or suzerainty over Aquitaine and Gasconyat that time,
but a subsequent break with the Merovingians appears to have occurred
following Childeric's death in 675. Lupus is often considered a protégé of
Felix, to whom the latter delegated Gascony, and who eventually succeeded him
over all Aquitaine. On the other hand, he was an opponent Ebroin, and so may
have been an enemy of Felix who usurped authority in Gascony. Later Lupus had
control over southern Aquitaine and was trying to assert it in the north when
he died. |
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670–676 |
1st independen ruler
Lupus I |
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688–735 |
Odo the Great his
reign commenced perhaps as late as 692, 700, or 715, unclear parentage |
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735–745 |
Hunald I son of Odo the Great, abdicated to a monastery |
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745–768 |
Waifer, son of Hunald I |
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Waiofar,
also spelled Waifar, Waifer or Waiffre (†768), was the last independent Duke
of Aquitaine from 745 to 768. He peacefully succeeded his father, Hunald I,
after the latter entered a monastery. He also inherited the conflict with the
rising Carolingian family and its leader, Pepin the Short, who was king of
the Franks after 751 and thus Waiofar's nominal suzerain. |
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768–769 |
Hunald II probably son of Waifer |
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768–781 |
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opposed Charlemagne's rule and Hunald's
relatives |
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Karolingian Kings of Aquitainia |
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781-814 |
Louis the Pious,king
of the Franks |
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Emperor of the
West 814-840 son of Charlemagne |
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790-806 |
William of
'Aquitania, called Saint Guilhem, at te same time Duke of Aquitaniae |
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817-838 |
Pepin I *
803-Poitiers † 838, King of
Aquitania |
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2nd son
of Louis the Pious and Ermengarde. He ruled Aquitania already when receiving
the royal title in 817. He revolted several times with his brother against
his father (830,831,833).
Seal N°19 (835) Æ 4,5 cm |
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839-852 |
1st term Pépin II the Young |
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Aquitaine after the Treaty of Verdun[ After the
843 Treaty of Verdun, the defeat of Pepin II and the death of Charles the
Bald, the Kingdom of Aquitaine (subsumed in West Francia) ceased to have any relevance
and the title of King of Aquitaine took on a nominal value. |
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854-859 |
2nd term Pépin II
the Young |
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855-866 |
Charles said to be
a son of Charles te Bald |
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867-877 |
Louis II the
Stammerer, brother of preceding |
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880-882: |
Carloman II, son of
preceding |
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882-980 |
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No special
kings of Aquitania but kings of the Franks who called themselve sometimes
kings of the Franks and the Aquitanians. It seems that Ramnulf II,son of
Ramnulf Ier de Poitiers, count of Poitou an grfand son of the king of
Aquitania, Pippim of Aquitania was a pretender of the throne of
Aquitania in 888-889 after the death
of Charles the Fat. |
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House of Auvergne |
898-918 |
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William I, the
Pious |
898-918 |
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House of
Razès |
918-927 |
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William II, the Young |
918-926 |
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Acfrid |
926-927 |
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House of Poitiers
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927-1204 |
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The title
“Duke of Aquitaine” was held by the counts of Poitiers from the 10th to the
12th century. |
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Ebalus the Bastard |
927-934 |
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William III, the Fair |
934-963 |
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William IV, the Swanker |
963-993 |
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Louis III |
980-982 |
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future
king of France as Louis V the Sluggard, son of king Lothair. |
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William V, le Grand |
993-1030 |
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William VI, the Fat |
1030-1038 |
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Eudes |
1038-1039 |
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William VII, the Brave |
1039-1058 |
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William VIII |
1058-1086 |
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In 1058,
the Duchy of Vasconia (Gascony) and Aquitaine merged under the rule of William VIII, Duke
of Aquitaine. |
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William IX, le
Troubadour |
*1071.10.22
-†1126.02.10 Duke of Aquitania, count
of Poitou 1086-1126 ¥ Phillipie de Toulouse 1094 count of Toulouse
1094-1099 Count of Toulouse
(2nd term) 1113- |
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William
IX was barely fifteen years old when his father died. He soon found himself confronted
with the wishes of autonomy of his vassals. Eble de Chatelaillon seized half
of the island of Oléron which belonged to the Abbey of the Trinity of Vendome
without the Duke being able to oppose it. Boson Count of the March, William
Taillefer Count of Angouleme and Hugues de Lusignan were not characters who
allowed an opportunity to increase their power. The Lord's wars resumed,
therefore, more beautifully. Boson de la Marche attacked William Taillefer
and came to put the seat before Confolens, Boson was killed during an
offensive. Immediately, a struggle for the succession of Boson on the March,
his uncle Eudes entered into conflict with Hugues Lusignan who is his nephew
by his mother. Eudes then allied himself with William d'Angouleme, the former
enemy. At Parthenay, Guelduin had to make concessions to his younger brother
Ebbon, who was even assassinated in 1093, Aimery IV de Thouars. To restore
order William IX invaded the region of Parthenay, drove out Ebbon and
entrusted the fortress of Germond to Guelduin. A year later, Ebbon took the
fortress of Germond and had his brother murdered. However, William IX
recognized Ebbon as Lord of Parthenay. William
IX married Ernengarde d'Anjou, the daughter of Foulques le Réchin, in the
first marriage, and this marriage guaranteed him peace on his northern
frontier. But soon he divorced, causing the discontent of the Count of Anjou.
But the latter, who was then excommunicated, could not act. Ermengarde then
married the Duke of Brittany. In 1088,
a Frenchman, Urban II, became Pope in particular thanks to the support of the
Abbot Geoffroy de Vendome. The Pope demanded, without success, from William
IX that he should restore the Island of Oléron to the Abbey of Vendome. The
affair was not settled until the end of 1096, after threats and
excommunication of Eble de Chatellaillon, and will be confirmed at the
Council of Saintes in March 1097. The Abbey takes possession of the island. Also in
1088, William IX married Philippie of
Toulouse, widow of Sancho Ramirez King of Aragon, thus obtaining rights on
the County of Toulouse. He made these in 1097, invaded the County and seized
Toulouse where he established his wife as Countess. There, in 1099, their
son, the future William X, was born. In
December 1099, during the consecration of the Chaize church in Thouars,
William IX announced that he was taking the cross and to find the money
yielded the County of Toulouse to Bertrand de Saint-Gilles, a cousin of his
wife. In March 1101 William left for Palestine with an army of thirty
thousand men. He joined the other Crusaders and everyone is in front of
Byzantium (Constantinople). The crossing of Asia Minor is a catastrophe, the
armies of the Crusaders are massacred by the Turks. William IX is one of the
few survivors and in Easter 1102 he is in Jerusalem. In the autumn he
returned to Aquitaine, on 29 October 1102 he was in Poitiers. His wife
Philippia assured the administration of the County with Hugues, the brother
of William IX, and the Seneschals Eudes de Mauzé and Hugues de Doué. In 1104
William assists the Count of Anjou Foulques the Réchin confronted with the
revolt of his eldest son Geoffroy Martel the Younger. The latter, assisted by
the Earl of Maine, took castles from his father, and on 28 August 1104, he
first seized Thouars, which he burned, and then de Niort and Beauvoir.
William IX positions his army against that of Geoffroy Martel, the
negotiations engaged make it possible to reconcile the Count of Anjou and his
son. In 1106 Geoffroy Martel died, doubtless assassinated, at the siege of
Candé. Fulques, the son of Bertrade, became the heir of Anjou. William IX
abuses his confidence and holds him some time prisoner to negotiate the
surrender of castles in the region of Mirebeau. These fortresses represented
a threat to the defense of Poitiers. Hugh of
Lusignan had despoiled the Abbey of Saint Maixent and his son Hugues le Brun
refused to restore usurped property. In 1110 William IX was obliged to make
war against Hugues le Brun, who received the support of the Sire de Parthenay
and the new Comte d'Anjou Fulk the Younger. William was wounded before
Taillebourg, and a truce was established between the belligerents. In 1113
the Seigneurs of Toulouse invoked him against their new Earl,
Alphons-Jourdain. William seizes Toulouse where Philippie returns to take his
position of Countess. At the same time William is in conflict with the Bishop
of Poitiers Peter II, who accuses him of over-taxing the religious communities
and excommunicating him. William arrested Peter II and locked him in the
castle of Chauvigny where he died soon after. It was at
this time that William met Amauberge de l'Ile Bouchard (nicknamed the
Dangerous), the wife of Vicomte Aimery I of Chatellerault. The Vicomtesse
leaves her husband and lives ostensibly with William, who is excommunicated.
It is from her that comes the name of the Maubergon Tower at Poitiers. The
wife of William, Philippi, retired in 1116 to the Abbey of Fontevraud to
Robert of Arbrissel, she dies there on 28 November 1118. She had seven
children with William, including two sons, William and Raymond. In 1118
William went back to war against the Sires of Lusignan and Parthenay,
defeated them and captured Simon de Parthenay. He crosses again to assist the
King of Aragon Alphonse the Battler who fights against the Almoravids.
William wins on them the battle of Cutunda on 18 May 1120. In 1121
the Bishop of Clermont, who was driven out of his city by the Count of
Auvergne, appealed to King Louis VI over the head of William IX. The Count of
Auvergne submits, this intrusion of the King of France into the Aquitaine
estates is a setback for William. In 1122,
with the help of the Vicomte de Narbonne and the Count of Barcelona, he
tried to regain control of the County of Toulouse without success. At the
same time he always has to do with recalcitrant vassals. The Sire de
Parthenay refuses to pay the right of redemption on the death of his father
Simon; the heir of the Duke, William, must take the castle of Parthenay to
subdue the rebellious lord. Then Count Vulgrin of Angouleme moved, William IX
died on February 10, 1126 while his army seized Blaye. He is buried in the
Abbey of Montierneuf in Poitiers. His
eldest son William succeeded him, his second son Raymond became Prince of
Antioch. One of his daughters, Agnes, first married Vicomte Aimery V of
Thouars and then in second marriage the King of Aragon Ramire II. William
IX has especially remained in posterity as the promoter of a new civilization,
that of troubadours and courtly love. He was very cultivated and
intellectually dominated his contemporaries. He also knew how to take
distance of himself and to relativize religious affairs. His relations with
the Bishops were not good in general and he was excommunicated several times. Having
gained rights over Toulouse by his wife Phillippie, he claimed them by force
by taking Toulouse in 1098. William le Troubadour joined the first crusade
led by Godefroy de Bouillon after the fall of Jerusalem in March 1101. He
remained A year and a half in the East, to fight most often in Anatolia,
where he was severely beaten twice. He took
possession of the church's property in 1113 to finance his campaign against
Toulouse, and abandoned his wife Phillipie for the wife of his vassal, the
Viscount de Chatellerault. The acts earned him excommunication. He
nevertheless married his son William to the daughter of his mistress in 1121. At the
end of his life, he participated in an episode of the Reconquista: Allied
with the King of Castile and Leon, Alphonse the Battler, who had married his
sister Beatrice. From 1120 to 1123 they waged for the conquest of the kingdom
of Valencia, winning in particular the battle of Cutenda. Data 1171
Birth 1097
Entry in Toulouse
A black knight
fighting another in St. Savin The Church of Saint-Savin dates mainly from the end
of the 11th century, but some parts - including the transept with
wings, square tower, and the crypts of St. Martin and of the Saints Savin and
Cyprian - are even older. 1099
Birth of his son William le Toulousan 1099.07.15
capture of Jerusalem 1099-12-06
Willem IX takes the cross. (leaves for the Holy Land) 1101-09-5.The
army of Willem IX destroyed at Taurus. 1102-10-29
Return from the East 1108 Louis
the Fat, king of France 1115
Excommunicated 1120.05.18
Victory at Cutenda togeteher with Alphonso of Aragon 1121 Loss
of Toulouse 1122
Birth of Aliénore of Aquitania 1126.02.10. † |
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Wedding on a capital in
the church of Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais in
Civaux (Dept. Vienne). 11th-12th cent (Not
of Willian and Philippie) |
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Baptistère St. Jean de
Poitou. Fresco
from about 1100, named: MAVRICIVS. Standing warrior
with a three-pointed pennon and a red shield with a pointed shield buckle.
The fresco, apparently painted over, provides little guidance for analysis,
other than the color of the shield. William
IX de Troubadour may have been proposed in the second instance. Mauricius was a warrior saint adopted as a patron of
the imperial party. His coat of arms was Gules, a cross Argent. |
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1099-12-06 William IX takes the cross. (leaves
for the Holy Land) 1101-09-5.The army of Willem IX destroyed at Taurus. 1102-10-29 Return from the East In March
1101 William left for Palestine with an army of thirty thousand men. He joins
the other crusaders and everyone finds himself in front of Byzantium (Constantinople).
The crossing of Asia Minor is a disaster, the armies of the Crusaders are
massacred by the Turks. William IX is one of the few survivors and at Easter
1102 he is in Jerusalem. In the fall he returned to Aquitaine, on October 29,
1102 he was in Poitiers. |
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Foto H.d.V.08.2004 |
In the
church of St. Martialis in Limoges, a warrior is depicted in armor with a
pointed and lambrequined helmet. On his arm a Norman shield with a cross
bottony that is halfway between a Greek and a Latin cross. (Limoges, Musée Municipal de l´Evêché, coll. Lapidaire).
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The
origin of the Abbey of St Martial finds its roots in the crypt of St Martial.
Probably dug in the 4th this crypt was then covered by an oratory served by
clerics of the Cathedral like St Loup. The pilgrims becoming more and more
numerous, it was necessary to raise, probably in the 11th, the primitive
basilica of Saint Pierre-du-Sépulcre, of more than one hundred meters long
and twenty meters wide, on the basilica of the Savior. Finally this abbey was
made up of a group of churches, buildings and courtyards enclosed in a wall.
The Council of Limoges of 1031, making Martial an apostle, definitively
ensured the abbey as a place of pilgrimage of Christendom, in addition with
Saint Jacques de Compostelle and Saint Jean d'Angely. In the 11th century,
the abbey became an intellectual center respected throughout Christianity.
The richness of its library was such that it was placed in second row, just
after that of Cluny. Thanks to the trade generated by the many pilgrims who
passed by, many goldsmiths specialized in the creation of reliquaries and
enamels with "champleves" have prospered over time. |
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St. Savin sur Gartemps,
Crypte 1100 ca. [1] Represented
is Ladicius, consul of Amphipolis orating and Savinus and his
brother Ladicius is
vested as a duke in a blue dalmatica and a red mantle and has a ducal cap on
his head Such a
garment would fit William IX. Savin is
Spanish, originally from Barcelona. He probably lived in the early 5th
century. After having received a brilliant education, he left his family and
his country to go to the parents he had in Gaul, in Poitou. He becomes the
tutor of his cousin, the young Gomellus, whom he awakens to faith. Both enter
the monastery of Saint Martin de Ligugé. Savin stayed there for almost three
years then chose solitude in the Pyrenees, at Pouey-Aspé (1h30 walk from the
current village of Saint-Savin). He lived there as a hermit for thirteen
years, a rough and austere life, enamelled with many miracles, with the only
abode being a pit dug in a rock.
Maximus, Savinus and Ciprian in the same crypt. The main figure again vested
in a ducal garment. |
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1102 Return from the Holy Land
Beginning of the Book Judges. Second Bible of St. Martialis, Limoges, Paris
Bibl. Nat., Ms. lat. 8, Vol. I. fol. 91. Beginng 12th cent. (Cahn, 1982, 127) On the dexter some warriors and a bishop and
On the altar: Tab(er)naculum foederis
d(omi)ni (Sanctuary of the society of the Lord) On the scroll: dixitq: dns Iudas ascendet adbellum. (= Judges 2) In the middle: Christ On the altar: Tab(er)naculum foederis d(omi)ni (Sanctuary of the society of the
Lord) On the sinister a standing warrior in armoury
with a shield Above the warrior with shield: Iudas. Arms: 1. Gules, within a circle a lion
passant Argent; 2. Sable, within a cricle a lon passant reversed Argent; 3.
Gules, within a cricle an eight-petalled flower Argent; 4. Gules a fish erect
Argent. All within a bordure Or and with decorations Argent. Below is the beginning of the Book Judges: 1 After the death of Joshua, the
Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight
against the Canaanites?” 2 The Lord answered,
“Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.” 3 The
men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, “Come up
with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites.
We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites went with
them..
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The same
way is also used on a coat of arms with an eagle in chief and crossbars
underneath in a manuscript from Saxony. Here, however, the eagle is free in
the chief. In
conclusion, it can be stated: 1. The warrior represents William IX, the
Troubadour of Aquitaine. 2. The shield contains the symbols of: a. Aquitaine, a white lion on a red field.
This lion can later be found in the coat of arms of Aquitaine / Guienne: Red,
a golden lion passant guardant. b.: a lion passant on a black field. Later
Poitou's coat of arms was: White, a red lion and a black bordure charged with
besants. c. Toulouse: A rose. As on a sarcophage of
the 5th century. (1094-1099 & 1113-1121) d. A dolphin can be found in the Roman coat
of arms of Toulouse and in some arms of former Gallia Narbonensis. The
option that a lion was the symbol of the Duke of Aquitaine remains open when
one sees the depicted coat of arms in a twelfth-century manuscript. Here the
shield is blue and the lion is white. (Pline,
Histoire Naturelle. Le Mans, Biblioth. Municipale. Ms 263 f ° 10.) but these
are presumably the arms of the count
of Anjou. |
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1115 Excommunicated 1115 Birth of Raymond of Poitou 1120.05.18 Victory at Cutenda tigether with
Alphonso of Aragon 1121 Loss of Toulouse 1122 Birth of Aliénore of Aquitaine
Pline, Histoire naturelle, Illustrated
Manuscript from the middle of the 12th century from France by an english
artist Le
Mans, Bibl. mun., ms. 263, f. 10v Hanging
on the wall a shield Azure, a lion
Argent, a helmet and a lance with a three pointed pennon: a saltire between four besants. charged
with a rose within a circle. On the lower register the knight (duke) armed
with a sword and a red shield, and a spear with the same pennon.
Reconstruction of pennon * This
could depict an episode from the last years of the life of William writing
[his memoirs ?]. The king to whom he is presenting the manuscript looks like Lothar II,
Roman King from 1125 until 1133. No other kings, like the kings of England or
France had a long beard at the time. That the
manuscript was illuminated by an english artist in Le Mans can be explained
by the fact that the daughter of William, Eleonore, was married in 1152 to
Henry Plantagenet, then duke of Normandy and in 1154 king of England. He
became count of Anjou in 1156. As such, William the Troubadour was his
(deceased) father in law. 1123 Died |
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William X, le
Toulousain |
*1099.10.22-1137.04.09 1126-1137 |
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Melle (Poitou-Charente), Eglise St. Hilaire
(1109-’50) Rider with headscarf, probably a crusader. This could
have been Willian IX when returning from the Holy Land. But also William X
when on pilgrimage in 1137. Melle is about 60 km south-west from Poitiers on
the road to Santiago de Compostela. William X
of Poitiers, known as the Toulousain or the Saint, was born in Toulouse in
1099 and is the last of the Counts of Poitiers of the Ramnulfides dynasty. He
reigned from 1126 to 1137 under the name of William VIII, Count of Poitiers
and Duke of Aquitaine under the name of William X. He was the son of William
the Troubadour, to whom he succeeded, and Philippe, daughter of the Count of
Toulouse William IV. He allied
himself with Geoffroy the Fair Count of Anjou against Normandy. With peace on
his northern border, he had on the other hand
to fight a longtime in the south to constrain his vassal of Aunis,
Isembert of Châtelaillon. Badly
inspired, he supported, with the legate Girard d'Angoulême, the anti-pope
Anaclet II (1130-‘38) for five years, from 1130 until an interview with
Bernard de Clairvaux at the castle of Parthenay. He died
on 9 April (Good Friday 1137) during a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
He prayed in his last wishes, the King of France, Louis VI the Gros, to consent
to the marriage of his son Louis to his eldest daughter, Alienor of
Aquitaine. |
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Eleanor |
*1122 - †1204 Duchess of Aquitania
1137 ¥ 1 Louis VII de France 1137-1152 ¥ 2 Henry II Plantagenet 1152-1189 |
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With
Eleonore, Aquitaine became the most important property of the House of
Poitiers. She held court in the manner of when she was queen of France. Henry
II Plantagenet reorganized the duchy according to the norman model. Philip
August wanted to give the duchy to Aymeri van Thouars after the conviction of
John Lackland, but only captured a few parts. In the 12th and 13th centuries,
the duchy was reduced to south west, which was French. Aquitaine
passed to France in 1137 when the duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis
VII of France, but their marriage was annulled in 1152.
Donor Portrait of Eleanor at a young age Psalter of Eleonore of
Aquitaine KB. Den Haag, Ms 76 F.13,
fol. 128 (1185 ca)
Seal of majesty and equestrian Seal of Louis
VII, duke of Aquitaine 1141 Arms: NN. Caption: LVDOVICVS DEI
GRATIA: FRANCORVM REX / ET DVX
AQVITANORVM.
Foto H.d.V. 2015 Alienor of Aquitaine, Louis VII and
two ladies in waiting Église Notre Dame la Grande, Poitiers,
westfront |
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1152-1453 |
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When
Eleanor's new husband became King Henry II of England in 1154, the area
became an English possession, and a cornerstone of the Angevin Empire. Aquitaine remained English until the end of
the Hundred Years' War in 1453, when it was annexed by France.
Foto H.d.V. 2011 Henry the Younger and
Eleanore riding Fresco
in St. Radegonde Chapel, Chinon. Eleanore is
dressed in a purple garment strewn with what look like christograms.
To be
seen on the fresco are Henry II in a green tunic and a yellow cloak lined
with vair, a crown on his head. Characteristic is his short red beard. Behind
him are his wife Eleonore of Aquitaine (* 1122- † 1204); his eldest son Henry
(* 1155- † 1183) crowned co-king in 1170, with crown and in a yellow tunic
and green matle lined vair, Richard (* 1157- † 1199); and Geoffrey, Duke of
Brittany (* 1158- † 1186). Since
Henry jr. is crowned, the fresco must date from after 1170. In early 1174,
after plotting with Henry Jr. and Richard against her husband, Eleonore was
imprisoned in Chinon and then taken to Winchester where she spent almost ten
years in captivity. The fresco will therefore have been made before or in
1173. In 1173 Henry II was 40 years old, Eleonore 53, Henry Jr. 18, Richard
16 and Geoffrey 15. These ages correspond to the ages of the persons
depicted. John, who was of the age of six in 1173, is not represented. . |
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House of
Plantagenet |
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Richard Coeur de
Lion |
1169/'72-1199 |
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Richard Coeur
de Lion introduced the famous coat of arms Gules, three lions passant,
granted by Emperor Henry VI. |
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Otto, duke of
Brunswick |
1175-†1218 Regent
1196-1198 |
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Otto was
elected a Roman King in 1198 Æ Otto IV |
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*Arthur I |
Duke of Brittanny 1187-1203 Duke of Aquitaine 1199-1203 Count of Anjou 1199-1203 |
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Seal of ArthurI,
1199 - 1202 Arms.:
Nil. L.: DVX BRITTANNIE ET
AQUITANIE / COMES ANDEGRAVENSIS ET CENOMANENSIS. D.: 1199
& 1202 (Douët d'Arcq n°s 532-533). |
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Eleonore |
2nd term 1199-1204 Otto, duke of
Brunswick Regent 1199 |
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Drawing of the seal and counterseal of Eleonore of Aquitaine with the next captures : The queen
crowned and with a sceptre and an orb
crested with an eagle sejant. Æ See also Sceptre
Foto H.d.V. 2015 Tomb of Eleonore of Aquitaine in the Royal abbey of
Fontevraud. |
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John Lackland |
1204-1216 |
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Seal of John Lackland the obverse for England, the
reverse for the French possessions including Aquitaine. From Sandford, Francis: A Genealogical
History of the Kings of England and Monarchs of Great Britain. 1677. |
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Henry III |
1216/1259-1272 ¥ 1236 Eleonore of Provence
1223-1291 |
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The duchy
of Aquitaine was called the duchy of Guyenne after the treaty of Paris of 12
April 1229 between Louis IX the Saint and Raymond VII count of Toulouse who ceded the largest part of the
Languedoc to France and in this way ended the albigense conflict. During
the rule of Henry III his wife Eleonore of Provence bore the title of Duchess of Aquitaine (together with the
titles of queen of England, Duchess of Normandy, countess of Anjou. and Lady
of Ireland). On her
seal occurs a single lion passant
guardant. On the reverse are the arms of England.
From: Sandford,
Francis: A Genealogical History of the Kings of England and Monarchs of Great
Britain. 1677. pp. 50 & 57 https://archive.org/details/genealogicalhist00sand
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Edward I |
26-07-1273-1307 1254-1293 |
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Guyenne
is a popular corruption of the word Aquitaine which passed through the stage
“Aguiaine” in the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries, the initial "A" disappearing little by
little. Guyenne is the form that was by far the most used and the most
popular by local people from the 13th to the 18th century. Aquitaine appeared
as a more archaic and more cultivated term.
Homage of Edward I of England (kneeling)
to Philip IV (1385-1314) of France (seated), by Jean
Fouquet (~1420-1481). The
clothes of Edward red and strewn with lions passant Or which were the emblems
for Aquitaine in the time of Jean Fouquet. As Duke
of Aquitaine, Edward was a vassal to the French king During
the reign of Edward I the arms Gules a lion guardant passant Or was borne by: 1273
Walford´s Roll C130: Hugh Bigot, gules un leon passant d'or. Cl91: Hugh
Bigot, de gule a un leun d'or passant.
Cd101: Hue Bigot, de gules a lion passant or. Justiciar
of England 1258-´60 and Lord warden of Cinque Ports 1259-´60 John of
Dampierre Heraldic seal: Arms: A crowned lion passant guardant L.: X S IOHANNIS DE DAMPETRA. Vredius 1642 p. 94 n° 1.
Armorial Wijnbergen nr. 1001 .... Gules a lion passant guardant Or. (fig 56) [according
to Adam-Even: Laval ancien. Gui VII & VIII Montmorency (Ile de France) Lord
Laval (Bretagne) bore (BA242 &
CP36 & WB 936&1019): Or, a cross gules charged with 5 shells Arent
between 15 eagles Azure.] But the relationship of these
officers to Aquitaine is not (yet) known. |
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Edward II |
1307-1325 |
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Edward III |
1325-1362 |
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In 1329,
King Edward III of England paid tribute for Aquitaine to Philippe VI de
Valois3. The rivalry between the crowns of France and England led to the
Hundred Years War in 1337. On May 8, 1360, during the Treaty of Brétigny
France lost Aquitaine (Guyenne, Gascogne, Quercy, Rouergue, Limousin and
Poitou) , Ponthieu and Calais for the benefit of the English. Most of it was
recaptured, with the exception of Guyenne, by Du Guesclin in the 1370s and
1380s In 1337
Philip VI declared the fief canceled, but in 1340 Edward proclaimed himself
King of France. In 1360, at the peace of Bretigny and the Treaty of Calais,
Eduard renounced his claim to the French throne in exchange for all of
Aquitaine. Under a treaty of 1375, Eduard only remained Bordeaux, Calais,
Bayonne and Brest (Hugues
(†1386) - dep. 1351. C. de Stafford. D’or au chevron de gu. C.: une
tête de canard becqué de gu. dans un vol; une couronne de gu.; capeline d’or.
L.: Die grave v. Staffoert.
Gelre n° 572 Toison, p. 130: Or, a
chevron gules). 14th century 100 years´ war warriors |
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Henry of Lancaster,
lieutenant and captain of Aquitaine 1345-1347 Duc de Lancaster, from the Bruges
Garter Book (1430) by William Bruges. The arms on his
tabard appear to be erroneous,
being the arms
first adopted by King Edward III and not his paternal arms of Plantagenet with a label of France for
difference, being the arms of their common ancestor King Henry III. After his return the Order of the Garter was founded (1348) Æ Ralph de Stafford 2nd Baron, was created Earl of Stafford 5 march 1351
& constituted lieutenant & captain
general of the Duchy of Aquitaine. Seals of the Office of Seneschal or
Lieutenant of Aquitaine and of the Court of Gascony: Exchequer Class of
Accounts Various E 101/180/1/23 & 28. Arms: Or, a chevron
Gules |
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Edward Black Prince |
1362-1375 |
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Æ See: Wales, Princes of Wales
Seal of Edward Black Prince From: Sandford, Francis: A Genealogical History
of the Kings of England and Monarchs of Great Britain. 1677.302 |
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French |
1375-1390 |
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Armorial
Bellenville (France) |
Arms:
Gules, a lion passant guardant Or. L.: Hte vā gasscõyen. Gelre fol. 46 n° 315 (France). |
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John of Gaunt |
1340- 1399 Earl of Richmond
1342 Duke of Lancaster
1362 Tit. King of Castile
1385-1388 Duke of Aquitaine
1390-1397 |
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a. 1/4 of
France (anc.) & England and a label of 3 ermine. b. Gelre
fol 56v: die ht v lãcaster: 1/4 France anc & England. c. 1/4 of
France (anc.) & England a label of 3 ermine and an escutcheon in fess
point 1/4 of Castile and Leon. d. PP. of
Spain and 1/4 of France (anc.) & England with a label of 3 ermine. As a King
of Castile he (John of Gaunt) impaled this coat (¼ France (anc.) &
England; over all a label of three points ermine) with the quartered arms of
Castile and Leon, and after the surrender of that kingdom, impaled the same
with the arms of his first wife Blanche of Lancaster (&c. Wagner,
1939/'72 no 41).
Seal of John of Gaunt [2] Arms: 1/4 of France (anc) & England, a label
ermine of three Crest: A ducal hat a crowned lion passant guardant
labelled ermine of three Supporters: Two pelicans in their piety |
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Louis I Dauphin |
1400-1415 |
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Equestrian Seal Arms:
¼ of France and Dauphiné Crest Fleur de lis Capture: s ludovici pgeniti francorum reg
duc aquitane dalphini viennen. (Vredius 1642 p. 122 n° 1.) Counterseal Arms: Idem. Supporter:Angel seated behind the shield. (Vredius 1642 p. 122 n° 2) Æ See also: Dauphiné - 1400 |
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Henry V |
1399-1422 Prince of Wales and
Duke of Aquitaine 1400-1422 |
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Arms: Quarterly of France modern and England |
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Henry VI |
1422-1453 |
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Bergshammer nr. 1734 Arms: Gules a lion passant guardant Or.. Caption: aquitaēne duc.
Gules, a
lion passant guardant Or (Toison p. 82) From: Armorial de l'Europe et de la Toison d'or |
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1453-present |
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The French
victory at the Battle of Castillon marked the reconquest of Bordeaux in 1453 Under
Charles VII (1422-1461) of France Gascony as well as Aquitaine was
incorporated into the kingdom of France in its entirety in 1453. The
corresponding portion within Spain became part of the Basque Kingdom of
Navarre. |
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Charles |
†1472 Duc de Berri 1461 Duc de Normandie 1465 - 1469 Duc de Guyenne 1469 - 1472 |
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Louis XI gave
the duchy in prerogative to his brother Charles de Valois in 1469. It
returned definitively to the crown on his death in 1472.
3. ¼ of Berri and Aquitaine In 1474 verviel de titel
Arms of
Guienne /Aquitaine, 1483-1498 [3] Arms: ¼ of France and Or a lion passant guardant
Gules. Caption: Guinenne |
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After the
death of Charles VIII the arms were reduced to the original lion passant
guardant
1500 Arms: Lion passant guardant Caption:
Guyenne. (Compendium
Roberti Gaguini super Francorum gestis: ab ipso recognitum & auctum.
Paris, 1500. Frontispiece.
Ducque de guiana Livro do Almeiro Mor, 1509.
(37)
1550 W.:
Lion rampant. L.: Aquitania. (Sebastian v. Münster p. cxxiii)
1581 W.: Lion.
L.: Aquitania. [Der schildt blaw/der Löw roth.] (Martin Schrot p. 185). |
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From: Recueil des armoiries de premiers et
anciens pairs. Paris, 1634 |
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On a map of France,1721 Arms: Gules, a lion passant guardant Or. L.: Guienne In 1789-‘90 France was divided in départements and
the provinces were abolished
Initially
much of its functions were taken over by symbols from a repertory of
allegories and political devices. These were usuallu placed on seals |
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Departments: Empire and 3rd Republic |
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From left
to right and from top to bottom Charente;
Charente Maritime; Corrèze; Dordogne; Haute Garonne; Gironde; Landes; Lot;
Lot et Garonne; Sèvres; Hautes
Pyrenées; Basses Pyrenées; Tarn; Tarn et Garonne; Vienne. From: Encyclopedie
Bouasse-Lebel. Armoiries des Departements. |
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4th Republic |
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Crowned arms of Aquitaine / Guyenne and capitals of
the departements by Maurice Jacquet, 1950-1970 ca |
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5th Republic |
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Region Aquitaine 1982-2015 The Région Aquitaine was created by the
Decentralization Acts (Gaston Deferre Laws) of 2 March 1982.
Approved 2012 Departments Lot-et-Garonne Région Nouvelle Aquitaine 2015-present |
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Arms The
region was created by the territorial reform of French Regions in 2014 through
the merger of three regions: Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes The new
region was established on 1 January 2016, following the regional elections in
December 2015. |
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Adopted 16.12.2016 Departments |
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Gendarmerie |
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Arms
Sleeve patch |
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Arms: Gules, a lion passant guardant Or, langued
and unguled Azure
They were
approved on 12 July 1968 (approval number G 2179) |
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In 1152,
by the marriage of Aliénor with Henri II Plantagenêt, count of Anjou and duke
of Normandy, the duchy of Aquitaine and that of Gascogne were united to the
Plantagenêt empire which included England, Normandy, and
Anjou-Maine-Touraine. In reality, there was not much left of the Gascony of
Sancho II Sancho of Vasconia (†864), itself already small compared to
Novempopulania by its reduction by the creation of the County of Comminges
(10th century) including the Couserans. The successive divisions between the
descendants of the Courbé saw the creation of a mosaic of independent
lordships which recognized or not, the sovereignty of the dukes according to
the circumstances and the alliances of the moment. The history of united
Gascony as a political territory ends there, but not the history of medieval
Gascony.[4].You could say that at the political
level, there are "Gascognes". But the main division will be that
between a western Gascony, located around Bordeaux, Dax and Bayonne, united to England (until
1451/1453) and an eastern Gascony, located around the counties of Armagnac, Foix-Bearn and Bigorre,
being pro-French during the Hundred Years War. The
present blasoning of the coat of arms of Gascogne is “Quarterly, 1 & 4:
Azure a lion Argent; 2&3 Gules a garb Or
tied together Azure. The coat
of arms of Gascony is certainly the archetype of coats of arms created ex nihilo, in a way totally
disconnected from history. Indeed, they were allotted even before of the
constitution of the General Armorial (1696-1710), for a province which if it
still existed, and still exists, on the cultural level, did not have any more
a unitary political reality since its dismantling of 1063. Indeed, the Duchy
of Gascony, which roughly occupied the southern part of Aquitaine, having
disappeared as a political entity, no historical coat of arms existed, on the
contrary quite obviously of the dozen of provinces, seigneuries or main
countries born from its dismantling Without
reappearing on the political level in the strict sense, it was not until the
beginning of the 18th century, that an almost unitary Gascony was reborn on
an administrative level with the creation of the Generality of Auch in 1716
under the royal coat of arms. Nevertheless some coats of arms for Gascogne
were designed in the course of time. The first, as we have seen, around the
end of the fourteeth century when Gascogne had been captured by Charles V and
therefore was in fact French Aquitaine. This was identical with the English
coat of arms of Aquitaine of the golden lion on a red shield. The second arms were created in time of
Charles VIII (1483-1498) and were probably of a quarterly of the royal arms
and the arms of Aquitaine. The next coat of arms from the Louis XIV era
(1643-1715) were inspired on the coat of arms of the Armagnac familiy which
was a quarterly of Argent, lions Gules and Gules, lions Or. Much later the Gules, lions Or were changed
for a Gules, a garb Or, tied Azure. At about the same time the lions Gules were
changed by the French heraldist Robert Louis for Azure, lions Argent. This is
the version which is usually used. |
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Bernard
VII d'Armagnac (†1418) Comte
d'Armagnac et de Fezensac From: Armorial de Gilles Le Bouvier |
Armagnac (1483-’89) From: Traités de blason»,
XVe s. [BNF Ms Fr 14357] Unclear quarterly: 1&4
Azure strewn with fleur de lys Or or Azure a lion Argent? |
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Achievement for Gascogne, 1650 Arms: Quarterly
Argent a lion Gules and Gules a lion Argent Supporters:
two amors Caption:
Gascogne |
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On a Map of France, 1721 |
On a
postcard, ~ 1954 |
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Embellished arms of Gascogne 4h Republic (Robert Louis ca 1953)
The same Apart from the lords and lordships in Gascogne which had coats of
arms there was a single official for all of Gascogne which had a heraldic emblem
of ancient origin. This official was the archbishop of Auch who had the
status of Primate of Gascogne. The first having this status was Archbishop Airardus in 879. As a
metropolitan see by the 9th century Auch had ten suffragan sees: Acqs (Dax),; Aire; Lectoure; Couserans; Oloron, Lescar, Bayonne; Bazas; Comminges; Tarbes. Generally
the emblem of rank of a metropolitan bishop was a griffin which was borrowed
from the roman duches or officials
of the second rank having the jurisdiction in a Roman province as Novem
Populana was one. Such a griffin has not yet been found in Auch itself as the
Auch cathedral was restructured in the 16th century. Griffins however are known from Oloron cathedral
from one of the suffragan sees of Auch. [5] In the roman portal of that
cathedral is an achievement of a bearded man supported by two griffins which
could be the bishop of Oloron supported by the metropolitan archbishop of
Auch. In any case this achievement symbolizes that Oloron belongs to the
archdiocese of Auch. [6]
Sinister smaller tympan on Oloron Cathedral The tympan is dated around
the second decennium of the 12th century Another
emblem of a christian warrior is the christogram which can be found on top of
the central pillar of the tympan below the biblical scene of the descent from
the Cross.
Christogram ensigned with the cow’s head of Bearn On the
other (dexter) tympan is what can be a Saint within a mandorla, perhaps St
John as his gospels are recited in the sculptures on the upper tympan: John
19 25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s
sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his
mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he
said to her, “Woman, [a] here is
your son,” 27 and to the
disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple
took her into his home. John
19 38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now
Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish
leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus,
the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture
of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[a] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it,
with the spices, in strips of linen. This
was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.
Knight on horseback trampling an enemy Moreover
there is a knight on horseback standing on the right side of the arch in a
St. George pose trampling an enemy. This might be a lord of Bearn, for
example a viscount from the House of Gabarret. |
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© Hubert de Vries 2020-04-14
Heraldry of the World
